Thirty years ago, the groundbreaking White House Conference on food security, nutrition and health charted a new course in nutrition and was the impetus for policy changes such as an expanded food stamp program, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, nutrition labeling and the school lunch program. While much has changed in the intervening years, much remains the same.
This May in Washington, D.C., the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Department of Health and Human Services convened the National Nutrition Summit to provide an opportunity to look back on the accomplishments since the 1969 Conference, and discuss the challenges for the coming years.
As the Summit speakers reminded the audience, three decades ago the biggest issue facing the United States was hunger. Today, food insecurity remains a problem. According to Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center and speaker at the Summit breakout session, "In this time of broad economic prosperity, there is still substantial poverty and hunger in America."
But, a 21st Century irony is that overweight and obesity and their related chronic diseases now rival hunger as a concern. As with hunger, obesity is a very complicated issue without simple solutions.
Summit Surveys New Nutrition and Health Concerns
Jumping ahead to the year 2000, many of the discussions at the Summit centered on today's issue of overweight and obesity. In recent years, researchers have gained a vast amount of knowledge on the relationships between diet and chronic disease. Overweight and obesity are known risk factors for a host of health problems including heart disease, hypertension, some forms of cancer, diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and gallbladder disease. Understandably, health officials are concerned about the human and economic tolls these diseases take, particularly if the prevalence of overweight and obesity continues to rise.
A New Conversation
When it comes to weight management, "The paradox of our times is the gap between knowledge and behavior," stated Sylvia Rowe, president and CEO of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) and IFIC Foundation and plenary speaker at the Summit. "Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than with nutrition and physical activity." Most consumers know that eating right and engaging in regular physical activity are necessary for maintaining overall health. According to The American Dietetic Association Nutrition and You: Trends 2000 Survey, 85 percent of consumers say that diet and nutrition, as well as exercise and physical activity, are important to them. But, national surveys show a decline in nutrition concerns among consumers. In fact, the Trends 2000 survey found that 32 percent of consumers polled fall into the "Don't Bother Me" segment; those persons who may or may not feel informed about healthy eating, but for whom this is not a concern. This suggests that while consumers know what they should be doing, they are not motivated to do so and may be losing interest in advice about nutrition and physical activity.
Clearly, the information exists. Finding the key to motivate hesitant consumers to move advice into action is what is needed. Part of the solution to this paradox is to develop messages about healthy lifestyles that truly resonate with the consumer. To do that, nutrition communicators need to put themselves into the consumer mindset. Messages must empathize, not simply preach. And, messages should address factors that consumers identify as most important. For example, in the recent Food Marketing Institute Trends survey, consumers cited taste, nutrition, convenience, value and food safety as important to them. When communicating about the other very important half of the energy balance—physical activity—consumers need to perceive it as fun.
A New Commitment to Partnerships
While individual health professionals need to begin a new conversation with consumers, health organizations and government public health agencies need to recognize the importance of public-private partnerships to improve public health. The power of alliances was seen at the 1969 White House Conference. It was acknowledged then that: "Effective solutions will require cooperative and coordinated study by government and the private sector, including industry, agriculture, educational institutions, the health professions, voluntary health agencies and consumers." When partnership organizations speak with one voice, leverage their strengths, and provide multiple channels to effect positive change, the consumer benefits.
Summarizing the Summit
Partnering for progress, the Summit focused on working together on ongoing efforts to combat hunger in America and also emphasized overweight and obesity as a growing concern for Americans.
A highlight of the Summit was the release of the 2000 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans (see sidebar). An excellent example of where partnerships can play a crucial role is in combining efforts to realize Secretary Glickman's goal to " …make sure that people are made aware of the Guidelines, understand what they mean, and know how to apply them to their lives."
As Dr. Eileen Kennedy, USDA's Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics said, "The greatest contribution from this Summit will be the renewed commitment to work together for, and with, consumers."
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2000 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Learn the ABC's for a Healthful Diet
Aim For Fitness:
- Aim for a healthy weight
- Be physically active each day
Build a healthy base:
- Let the Pyramid guide your food choices
- Choose a variety of grains daily, especially whole grains
- Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily
- Keep food safe to eat
Choose Sensibly:
- Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat
- Choose beverages and foods to moderate your intake of sugars
- Choose and prepare foods with less salt n If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation
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